Iceland could take many lifetimes to explore. Most visitors only see a glimpse of the wonders of this landscape forged by volcanic fire, the massive forces of ice and water, the sea and eons of harsh weather eroding its volcanic surface.
The majority of visitors only see what a bus ride from the capital can show them in the time of their layover, yet further on the Ring Road which circles the island and the “F” gravel roads (probably named for “what the fuck are we doing on this crazy road”) there is so much more to discover.
Facts about Iceland
- Travel to Iceland and you will witness two continents – the North American and the Eurasian. Iceland is one of only TWO places in the entire world where you can see two of the earth’s tectonic plates meeting above the earth’s surface (the other is in Africa).
- Iceland has some of the most active volcanoes on the planet, is constantly pumping out 75-degree water through one of its 800 hot springs. From an energy point of view, this is great – some 85
per cent of the country’s homes are heated naturally by geothermal water – and from a visitor’s point of view, there are a plethora of “hot pots” in which to take a dip. - Iceland was settled by Vikings from Norway sometime in the 800s.
- Iceland has more than 125 volcanic mountains in the country, a handful of which are still very active, and another handful that could easily awaken and become active as the country changes and grows.
- Being located very close to the Arctic Circle, Iceland experiences long winter nights and long summer days, with almost 24 hours of darkness/twilight in December and nearly 24 hours of daylight in June.